Conservative punditry is an odd occupation. It requires a writer to see the world through a series of distorting lenses. Jon Gabriel's analysis of the Ukrainian war gives him full scope to promote a vision of the world which ignores truth in favor of hyperbole. Hyperbole becomes his mainstay, e.g. The War in Ukraine indicates that the international order is broken. This is not true. It's actually brought it together. He suggests that America all of a suddenly awoke to a "dangerous world." What? The world has always been dangerous. The spread of nuclear weapons has increased that danger exponentially and the arms races going on throughout the world with countries buying more and more sophisticated weaponry to defend themselves and kill others, has kept the Western economies humming. I have not seen much turning of swords into plough shares, more the making of better swords. Where would the American economy be without spending over $778 billion per annum on the armed forces? And what is the point of having all this weaponry if it's not used? America has been at war somewhere on the planet since its foundation. Most recently, for better or worse, in SE Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Putin is doing the opposite of what will make Russia safe and the policy is dangerous. Fascism and Communism must NOT be allowed to win and they haven't won in the past. Democracy has lasted. Tyranny comes and goes. Russia and China may not care figs for international law but the law provides the foundation stone of Western democracy and is designed to defend the individual. Unfortunately the US has flirted recently with a so called "strong man", setting a poor example but the US is back on track. The law is winning. Russia will pay a heavy price as will China if it begins adventurism because it is the law which has driven commercial success for seventy years. American wealth and investment, with the rules that go with it, have made the world what it is and millions more are better off and living good lives because of the Pax Americana. The fact that Ukranians are going out to fight almost bare handedly against tanks and personnel carriers, sending their loved ones to other countries and risking death should tell you something. The same ideals motivated Americans when they were fighting for their Republic. The call then was "Give me liberty or give me death." Putin is a despot not a genius, if he were a genius, Russians would be happy, have a stronger economy, be an integral part of the international community and might even want to join NATO. The photo of Putin sitting on a horse bare chested tells you all you need to know about him, somewhat akin to our ex-President's bone spurs. President Ji is sitting on a potential middle class powder keg. US investment and technology created the Chinese economy. Moreover the size of the army and its equipment doesn't necessarily lead to victory. Study the careers of Leonidas, Alexander the Great or Chiang Kai Shek.

The international system is based on signed agreements - Charters with specific rules. These rules, such as the UN Charter on Human Rights have become international law and those laws and agreements have kept the peace by and large. Tyrants end up shot in a sewer, hiding in a bunker, or on trial in the International court of Law. In a dangerous world, we must find new ways to defend the freedom of the weak against tyrants and despots. We are the adults in the room. We have the ships and the planes and the army which defend our democracy. Ukraine is looking to us and the world is watching this deadly game of chess. Perhaps some of the brave boys who invaded the Capitol in the name of freedom would like to join The Ukrainian International Brigade and use their stockpiles of weapons and ammunition to defend freedom against Russian tanks. (Hopefully they don't have bone spurs.)

Gabriel maintains we can no longer rely on "old rules." What does he think the Constitution of the United States is? Just a set of old rules? It is what we have and it is The Rule of Law. It works and defends us against tyrants like Putin. We must do everything in our power to defend Ukrainians fighting for freedom while measuring the dangers. It will call for a steady hand.